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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20359 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20 |
The UK is quite a way behind Spain's electrically windy 21%. However, hopefully we are gaining a following wind: Eight renewable energy projects approved Eight major renewable energy projects, expected to support 8,500 jobs, have been given government approval. The contracts, which include offshore wind farms and conversions of coal-powered plants to run on biomass, are the first awarded under the government's energy market reforms. Energy Secretary Ed Davey said the projects would help power up to three million homes. He also expects them to attract £12bn in private investment... ... Mr Davey also said the projects would add nearly 5% to the UK clean energy supply... ... However, he added that the measures would add 2% to household energy bills by 2020, when it is hoped some 30% of electricity will come through renewable means... Projects: Beatrice offshore wind, Outer Moray Firth Burbo Bank offshore wind, Liverpool Bay Drax 3rd biomass conversion unit, Selby Dudgeon offshore wind, north of Cromer Hornsea offshore wind, off the East Yorkshire coast Lynemouth biomass conversion, Ashington, Northumberland Teesside biomass with combined heat and power, Middlesbrough Walney extension offshore wind, off Walney island Unfortunately, there looks to be a bit of a spin on the numbers... Is that "5%" of 'new', 'existing', or 'total' of what supply being added? Biomass can be a good idea but for the example for Drax, that scheme is already having to import biomass from abroad!... I'm not so sure how well that balances out... All on our only one planet, Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) |
ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20359 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20 |
A little something that is worldwide clean and all at a fraction of the cost of the dirty fossils subsidies: UK centre to shoot for nuclear fusion record The Jet experiment in Oxfordshire was opened in 1984 to understand fusion - the process that powers the Sun. Prof Steve Cowley told the BBC a go-ahead to run Jet at maximum power would allow scientists to try for the record by the end of the decade. This could bring Jet up to the coveted goal of "breakeven" where fusion yields as much energy as it consumes. Fusion is markedly different from current nuclear power, which operates through splitting atoms - fission - rather than squashing them together as occurs in fusion... ... it remains an attractive prospect because it can yield a near limitless supply of clean energy... ... Jet (Joint European Torus) was the prototype for Iter and over its extended lifetime will effectively carry out a dress rehearsal for that much bigger reactor, which will aim to demonstrate the scientific viability of fusion power at scale. Prof Cowley also hopes to use the additional five years to train up young scientists who could eventually take their expertise to ITER... All on our only one planet, Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) |
ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20359 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20 |
The battle looks to be set in the courts and on the forecourts rather than only on the road to success: FTC: State laws blocking Tesla's direct sales are 'protectionist' Tesla Motors has gained an influential ally in its battle to sell its electric cars direct to consumers: the US Federal Trade Commission... ... In a joint blog post on Thursday, three FTC directors agreed that forcing Tesla to argue the merits of its unique business model in the courts, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, is counterproductive. "Instead of 'protecting,' these state laws became 'protectionist,' perpetuating one way of selling cars – the independent car dealer," the officials wrote. "Such blanket bans are an anomaly in the broader economy, where most manufacturers compete to respond to consumer needs by choosing from among direct sales to consumers, reliance on independent dealers, or some combination of the two." The FTC officials urged lawmakers to be mindful of attempts by auto dealers and other businesses to block new forms of competition... Old fossils fight dirty? All on our only one planet, Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
A little something that is worldwide clean and all at a fraction of the cost of the dirty fossils subsidies: The only problem is they keep saying we need another 50 years to perfect it. Im 61 and I have heard that 50 years statement quite a few times in my life. [/quote] Old James |
William Rothamel Send message Joined: 25 Oct 06 Posts: 3756 Credit: 1,999,735 RAC: 4 |
Fusion will not be commercially viable in anyone's lifetime. It is the energy source of the future--it will always be so. By the way; Fusion is well understood and has been for decades. We know all of the equations for what is happening in our Sun. |
Byron Leigh Hatch @ team Carl Sagan Send message Joined: 5 Jul 99 Posts: 4548 Credit: 35,667,570 RAC: 4 |
right-wing billionaire Koch Brothers Koch Brothers And ALEC Expand Fight On Clean Energy Users |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
Byron, That is just out right injustice. What an atrocity of law that is. I can see those folks just going off the grid completley then. Or do they still get a surcharge imposed on them? Im betting that law gets overturned in court. Sounds like some politians getting some grease slapped in there palms. [/quote] Old James |
anniet Send message Joined: 2 Feb 14 Posts: 7105 Credit: 1,577,368 RAC: 75 |
Byron, That is just out right injustice. What an atrocity of law that is. +1000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Could not believe what I was reading there! Absolutely scandalous!! I hope you're right about it being overturned by the courts James!!! Thank you for bringing it to our attention too Byron. |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
If you generate more power by whatever means you use while connected to the grid, Then the power company should pay you said surplus electricity you provide. My power company charges me a delivery charge along with a connection fee and porks my butt with the wattage I use. So would it be fair for some snakeass greasy palmed politician getting a bigass donation for his re-election run to stick his fist up my keyster farther by chargeing me another fee for being green? I think not. IF i was able to be able to generate my own power by either wind and or solar., And some government boob said I had to pay more for the privalge, Id go totaly off the grid and say ,There now you get nothing. Talk about boobs running the country. The rich just cant stand the little guy trying to get ahead. Edit- And Im telling you know when the day comes they can figure out how much air you breath and and how to tax the sun falling on you , were screwed. [/quote] Old James |
The Simonator Send message Joined: 18 Nov 04 Posts: 5700 Credit: 3,855,702 RAC: 50 |
They can charge me extra for generating electricity when they pry it from my cold dead fingers. Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge. |
anniet Send message Joined: 2 Feb 14 Posts: 7105 Credit: 1,577,368 RAC: 75 |
Hello everyone! :) How are you all? I know I am not living in America so am not directly affected by what is currently under discussion, but I hope you don't mind me commenting at this point because we in Britain do, on occasion, follow the American way of doing things, and developments such as this could well end up happening here too :( The way things stand with my energy company at present, is that each year, the first several thousands of kilowatts I use are charged at a significantly higher rate than what is then charged after I've consumed that initial amount. It does nothing to encourage customers to conserve energy, and that (to borrow a phrase) screws every living organism on the planet. :/ As someone who reaches the discounted level of consumption considerably later in the year than many, I incur a much higher unit cost as a result. That is effectively my "choice"... and I can honestly say that I really wouldn't mind if part of that "choice" was paying a neighbour for their excess solar power. :) I do everything I can to limit my impact on the environment... but am not in a financial position to install green energy alternatives for myself... but that doesn't mean I could ever support a move to penalise those that can... sorry :) So... I'm afraid I will stick to my knee-jerk reaction :) and hope that the courts overturn the case in America... because I don't want the same happening here. But thank you for the alternative point of view :) Most interesting :) |
The Simonator Send message Joined: 18 Nov 04 Posts: 5700 Credit: 3,855,702 RAC: 50 |
Net-metering works by assigning a value to a unit of electricity (e.g. 14p pr kWh). Whichever way the electricity is flowing, the money goes the other. This seems fair to me. I'm still paying the separate standing charge (16p/day) to the electricity company for them to maintain cables etc, so they're not providing something for nothing. I'm not screwing the next door neighbour (she's a married woman!) as they don't feature in this equation. I think talking about 'buying-back' surplus electricity confuses the issue. What's happening is me being credited for any spare amount that happens to flow into the grid, so at the end of the month i only pay for the net amount taken out of the grid. One bill, one payment, no fuss. Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge. |
anniet Send message Joined: 2 Feb 14 Posts: 7105 Credit: 1,577,368 RAC: 75 |
Hi Guy! :) Look, if you do not understand that "energy production is a fixed cost" and what this implies then you are never going to understand what I'm trying to say here. I do understand your point re fixed costs, and an economics thread would be most interesting. (I studied it as part of my Bachelor of Accountancy degree :) so it would be nice if we could progress beyond Economics 101 eventually - perhaps even discuss Keynesian economics at some depth...? :) told you I was feeling mischievous today :)) Simonator: From your perspective, net metering pays off for you. What a great deal you're getting. You feel good because it's green energy and your electric bill is lower. What you fail to understand is where that money is coming from that's purchasing your excess. Well... I don't like the fact that my payments also go towards share dividends and massive bonuses to the very rich either... but I understand that dividend income pays pensions for many who are not well off at all, so accept that as a necessary evil until another way can be found :) I would much prefer to be paying my energy supplier for providing me with clean energy rather than the stuff I'm using now - but it won't be the likes of people like the Koch brothers who are going to facilitate that. I may be wrong (it has been known you know :)) but if it were just the rich installing solar panels, I doubt whether we'd be having this discussion at all. I also doubt they (ALEC) would be using terms such as homeowners with their own solar panels being “freeriders on the system". It's the falling unit cost of green technology which has got these guys worried... particularly if the fossil fuel industry started losing it's subsidies-in-perpetuity. Having said that, I would genuinely like to think you're right Guy and that they're genuinely worried about the poor being ripped off... but the lingering smell of dung wafting downwind from these boys puts me off a bit :) Sorry :) Certainly, if we are at the point where, as you put it, "those who can afford wind/solar farms get paid for the electricity they place on the grid" then one wonders why the energy companies themselves can't or won't do that themselves. You do make a good case however, and it is definitely one worth remembering in the future by all of us I think. Measurements put in place to make anything more attractive during potentially difficult transitional stages should definitely be reviewed from time to time... but such reviews should not be funded or forced through by the rich and the powerful... not if they are going to have any credibility to the man in the street. But that's just my opinion :) Most stimulating discussion though... thank you! :) |
Batter Up Send message Joined: 5 May 99 Posts: 1946 Credit: 24,860,347 RAC: 0 |
Look, if you do not understand that "energy production is a fixed cost" and what this implies then you are never going to understand what I'm trying to say here.My power company sold all of its power generating plants and is now only a carrier. With people putting small, very small, amounts of electricity back into the gird spread out over time will give power generating companies time to adjust output. |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
I have National Greed as my power supplier. They like to make big donations to PACS here in the area they supply power to.. You can bet your botttom dollar they dont use their dividend money. Also before National Greed bought out the local power company. Niagra Mohawk sold off just about all the hydro dams they had as they were nearing heavy rebuilding and maintenance And heaven forbid that would eat up dividends.. So they sold them to private firms who spent the capital to refurbish them. Then had to buy back power from those private investors At the going rate. And you should have heard them cry. I dont know about you. But it seems like they slit there own throats by not reinvesting in there own damn company for the sake of corporate greed. [/quote] Old James |
The Simonator Send message Joined: 18 Nov 04 Posts: 5700 Credit: 3,855,702 RAC: 50 |
I'm not using the panels to generate electricity per se, i'm using them to reduce my electricity consumption. I could achieve the same effect by turning off the fridges and the media centre, thus meaning i don't use any electricty during the day. Would that be driving the electricity company out of business? Of course not, because other people/businesses/houses that the company supplies would still be using electricity, and i'd still be paying the standing charge for them to maintain the supply lines. Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge. |
William Rothamel Send message Joined: 25 Oct 06 Posts: 3756 Credit: 1,999,735 RAC: 4 |
But it seems like they slit there own throats by not reinvesting in there own damn company for the sake of corporate greed. I lay all of this off to the Harvard Business school which touts quarter over quarter profits instead of a proper look at the overall state of a corporation. Their simulations allowed reducing inventory, finished goods to sell, plant, equipment and employees to make the books look good. I attended an IBM-sponsored training session where they brought these clowns in to run the business simulation. I was appalled to see how they measured success. Not the way I would run my business. |
anniet Send message Joined: 2 Feb 14 Posts: 7105 Credit: 1,577,368 RAC: 75 |
But it seems like they slit there own throats by not reinvesting in there own damn company for the sake of corporate greed. Hi William and James :) How are you both? I was pushed into doing a business degree when I left school (part of which included in-house training as a chartered accountant) and I loathed every single minute of it - but boy did it open my eyes as to the way things were then and where they were progressing. The modern "business model" which has evolved since the eighties comprises no pride in anything other than profit, avoiding tax on profit, and the aggressive marketing of consumerism. For businesses that fail to toe that line, raising finance and competing for contracts is an uphill struggle. I could rant on but I won't :) I will say however, that I'm glad that there are still people out there who say: "Not the way I would run my business" because those are the ones I do my very best to give my custom to. :) +1000 |
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